2021 // NYC on Film
Brooklyn & Manhattan
New York, October 2021
New York is truly something else. I had been once before but was only eight years old which only meant that this would be conducive to a very different trip as an adult.
To maximize my time on the east coast, I booked a red-eye flight, which in the wise words of Olivia Rodrigo, it’s brutal out there. I wasn’t human when I emerged from the plane. I navigated the subway to get to Sung’s, sweating profusely as I dragged my suitcase through the ADA noncompliant hallways between stops.
After getting settled for a second, I hit the ground running as Sung worked throughout the day and gave me recommendations for where to go in Williamsburg. In true Greta fashion, I wandered Brooklyn and weaved my way through Manhattan, hitting major sites like the Whitney Museum and 9/11 Memorial & Museum amongst the alleyways I stumbled upon in between. Friends were incredulous as to what I did in one day, let alone being astoundingly tired from an overnight flight. There is so much to see and do!!! All I wanted was to maximize my time.
The trip was an absolute whirlwind for an extended weekend trip. I quite literally hot-potatoed from person to person. The main motivation for the trip was to visit Sung since she had been there for some time now and I hadn’t yet made it out yet; funny enough, Gina & Peter were in town visiting some of their friends; our cousins happened to be in town (and I ran into them while we were exploring); I had intended to visit some friends from high school and I found out some friends from college had recently moved to the city; Sharon hopped on the bus for a quick day trip since I was on her coast. It was BONKERS. I hadn’t planned on having a FULLY packed social schedule, but I’m glad it worked out that way.
Saturday, Travis and Kevin kindly took me to the Upper East Side and to some of their favorite spots. We hit Central Park with coffee in hand then popped over to the Met for some art. After lunch in West Village, we met Sharon, who came up for the afternoon, in Washington Square Park and wandered all the way to the ferry and took it to Brooklyn. As we admired the city skyline, we watched the impending thunderstorm loom over the city. Later on, we met up with Sung back in West Village, met some of her coworkers then went out for the evening.
Sunday kicked off with a lazy brunch and some shopping (Sung is a bad influence on me, but has great taste), then immediately getting ready for my next activity. Gina and I met up with Julia and Lizzie for a late lunch then wandered through SoHo over to the Highline where we parted ways with our cousins and Peter met up with us. I got back to Sung’s in the evening and was eager to have a chill night in.
By the time Monday rolled around, I was packing up my suitcase and managed to coordinate a coffee catch-up with Amy who had recently moved to the city. I hadn’t seen her in probably three years or so! I quickly made my way to Tribeca for a brief lunch with Gina & Peter (where we also saw Jacob Collier at the next table over). My time in New York was capped off by popping by Sung’s office to drop off her keys and her taking me to the 60th floor to have one last look over Manhattan.
It was a weekend trip for the books. The only casualties were losing an earring and running my feet ragged. I had the right mix of solo adventures and group outings which allowed me to see and do the things I wanted. My only regret is solely bouncing around Williamsburg and Manhattan West Village (mainly). I’d love to get back and explore Queens and other pockets of the city I was nowhere close to.
But I get it. I get the appeal of NYC. No matter where you are, you’re always immersed in the city. The streets are teeming with culture and dreams; any cuisine you could think of is there; every nook has something to offer. This city is always buzzing with something going on. There’s always a spot to discover.
New York spurs a certain level of spontaneity, curiosity as to what would be around the next corner. In such a sprawling place, little notes of humanity were tucked everywhere if you chose to look for them. My favorite was the white roses that were placed at the 9/11 memorial which represent someone’s birthday.
It’s that type of behavior, composed of resilience and grit, that is perpetuated by the people who choose to dwell there. The people are what makes the city special. I could cry over how many friends and familiar faces, whom I had not seen in years, I got to see. Everyone kindly took me under their wing and was so excited to show me all of their favorite spots or try something that had been on their list for ages. I’m thinking that NYC trips need to be at the very least an annual adventure.
Additional photos were provided by Gina and Sharon.
